As Colorado’s population rapidly ages, a growing number of seniors are finding themselves without homes. The number of residents aged 65 and older seeking homeless services in metro Denver has jumped 15% since last year, exposing a deepening humanitarian crisis. Service providers warn they are struggling to keep up with the rising demand, as health struggles, unaffordable housing, and economic vulnerability converge to push thousands into homelessness.
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A Life Upended by Loss
For 70-year-old Pamela Marin, homelessness was unthinkable until tragedy struck. After her husband’s death in 2020, Marin says she fell into “severe grief,” eventually losing her home after being scammed out of $60,000—the inheritance her husband left behind. With nowhere to turn, she spent months couch-surfing before living in her Ford Explorer for nearly a year. “People don’t understand how hard it is for people when they don’t intentionally lose their house,” Marin told The Colorado Sun. “It’s circumstances that usually are beyond their control.”
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Seniors on the Streets
Marin’s story mirrors that of many older Coloradans. According to the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative (MDHI), 1,902 people aged 65 and above accessed homeless services in 2024, up from 1,643 in 2023. Nationally, the U.S. recorded more than 42,000 homeless seniors last year—a 6.1% rise. The state’s elderly population has ballooned by 58% over the past decade, making Colorado the third-fastest aging state in the nation…